from The New York Times Orlando Pita, hairdresser to celebrities like Jennifer Connelly, Naomi Campbell and Kirsten Dunst, charges $800 for a haircut at his new salon, Orlo, on the third floor of a nondescript walkup on Gansevoort Street. If that seems like an extraordinary sum to charge, consider that New York has always been […]

from AdAge: I clambered into a suspension-less, musty old cab outside the train station in Harrisburg, Pa., more in hope than expectation. The chances of my driver — a central-casting Boo Radley — knowing the whereabouts of an outdoor-sports store that opened its doors for the first time that morning seemed slim at best. But […]

from Chicago Tribune: China has banned a Nike television commercial showing U.S. basketball star LeBron James in a battle with an animated cartoon kung fu master, saying the ad insults Chinese national dignity. The commercial, titled “Chamber of Fear,” shows James in a video game-style setting defeating the kung fu master, two women in traditional […]

Adweek reports that Denver-based sandwich maker, Quiznos, is removing its account from The Martin Agency in Richmond, Virginia. The account has not been placed into review yet, said Trey Hall, chief marketing officer for Quiznos. Discussions about future advertising failed to result in an agreement between the client and the agency, Hall said. “As we […]

It’s Sunday in Chicago. Good day for a sermon. “The primary job of an advertiser is not to communicate benefit, but to communicate conviction. Benefit is secondary. Benefit is a product of conviction, not vice versa. Whatever you manufacture, somebody can make it better, faster and cheaper than you. You do not own the molecules. […]

from USA TODAY: “Shots foster a fraternity atmosphere. Wall Street loves them because they spice up the party, but it makes it seem like the company is encouraging people to get trashed,” said Howard Givner, president of Manhattan event planner Paint the Town Red. A survey done in 2003 of 1,500 employees by U.K. recruiter […]

By Kathleen Sampey for Adweek NEW YORK Donny Deutsch’s CNBC show, The Big Idea, will replace McEnroe on the cable network early next year, a CNBC representative confirmed. The cancelled McEnroe, a talk show hosted by tennis great John McEnroe, will run through the end of December, the rep said. Deutsch, the CEO of Interpublic […]

John Moore at Brand Autopsy (not to be confused with Johnnie Moore) has started something by telling domain name registrar Go Daddy to stop trying to be Big Daddy. Moore wants the dot com to put their $2.4 mil. earmarked for a Super Bowl spot back into product development. I’d like to see user-centric design […]

BY THEODORE DECKER Of The Patriot-News Hot on the trail of kidnapped Krispy Kremes, Swatara Twp. police were in pursuit yesterday of a crook who — very unwisely, some would say — stole a doughnut delivery truck. Police found the truck abandoned in downtown Harrisburg, but they hadn’t tracked down the perp who pilfered the […]